Demons
by number1brawlfan
Summary: This is a three-shot song fic of mine inspired by the song "Demons" by Imagine Dragons. Each chapter takes a particular verse/verses and the chorus that follows said verse/verses. Kanan and Ezra centric, but the rest of the crew will be involved as well (especially Hera and Sabine a little bit).
1. Chapter 1

**This is a three part songfic using the song Demons by Imagine Dragons. This is also my first Rebels story. Like the summary says each chapter will get a verse or set of verses all the way up to and through the chorus that follows. This chapter takes place after "Gathering Forces" and "Path of the Jedi". Ezra is becoming withdrawn from the crew after the events of the two episodes.**

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It had been several days since the events on the asteroid base and the temple on Lothal and ever since then Ezra had been unknowingly distant and his withdrawal from the crew more and more each day. The whole crew, who had started becoming his family, had started to worry as the teen started depriving himself to the point that he would lock himself in his and Zeb's room for hours on in and through the night, forcing Zeb to crash in the common room every night. Kanan was especially worried about the boy, who had become more like a son to him rather than just his padawan. With Ezra only coming out of his room too briefly for comfort, Kanan had come to realize the boy started looking ghastly. He looked like he hadn't been much of any sleep if any at all in days.

Everyone tried interacting with Ezra, trying to get him to talk, or even get him to open up to what was bothering the teen. Hera was the first. Her motherly instincts took over, as she tried to talk to Ezra when she caught him up during the night, but he just brushed her concern as side claiming it was nothing, before returning to his cave. Zeb was the second to try. He took the chance to claim attempt to get his part of the room, as well as confront his roommate about his problem as best as the Lasat could, only to fail. Ezra claimed that he need time to be alone, so Zeb decided agreed to it, even with how irritable he appeared to be. Sabine was under the assumption that Ezra just needed space after everything that happened since his birthday which was also Empire Day, so she just let Ezra have his space, and it seemed like she was the only one Ezra acknowledged when she saw him. Kanan would be the last to try to approach the boy, after taking Sabine's advice to give him at least one more day.

Kanan finally took his turn at communicating with Ezra, which fell one week after the events. Kanan found himself in front of Ezra's down in the dead of night. The sounds of screaming was concerning. Fortunately for Kanan, Ezra forgot to lock his door for the night, not that anyone else would have known since they were all already sleeping. The Jedi pried the door open, only to find his padawan spastically tossing and turning in his sleep as Kanan entered the room. Kanan knew this had to be a nightmare and as he made his way over to the buck to awaken the teen, he miraculously made it over right as Ezra unconsciously threw himself off the top bunk. He caught Ezra and had held him bridal style. Ezra woke up disoriented.

"Kanan?" Ezra called out in confusion, once he regained composure.

"We need to talk." Kanan insisted as he placed Ezra on his feet, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders to make sure he would be steady on his feet in this state. "What's going on?"

Ezra avoided eye contact with his mentor and made himself look at the ground.

"It's nothing Kanan." Ezra replied. "I just need time to myself to think."

"Somethings bothering you. You've been avoiding everyone as much as possible for the past week. You're barely eating, You rarely speak with the exception of Sabine on occasion, and the bags under your eyes clearly imply that you haven't had a good night's sleep since we got back. You need to spill. What's bothering you?"

Ezra was silent, almost like he didn't hear Kanan's request. When the grip on his shoulders gently tightened, Ezra knew he wasn't going to worm his way out of this.

"A nightmare." Ezra stated just barely above a whisper, confirming Kanan's suspicions.

"Tell me what happened."

"We were fighting the Inquisitor. At first we were at the asteroid base. We were fighting, giving it our all, when the next thing I knew, you were knocked unconscious and he had me in a choke hold after trying to protect you. I tried to get out of it, but his grip was too strong. The next thing I knew, we were all in a cave, like the one I saw in my vision when we were at the Jedi temple. I was still in his choke hold when you regained consciousness and tried to save me."

At this point Kanan could feel Ezra shaking ever so slightly and Ezra's breathing was tense.

"He threw me against a wall, and he went to attack you. I couldn't move, like a force was crushing me. He disarmed you and beheaded you right in front of me."

Tears started falling and Kanan knew Ezra was crying, but the boy continued.

"He told me it was my fault. He said that you died because I was too weak to stop him. He said I would meet the same fate, but not before he made me …"

"Made you what?"

"Made me kill everyone. Hera, Sabine, Zeb, even Chopper, all of them, using your lightsaber and I couldn't stop myself. I stabbed Hera throw the chest, piercing her heart. I sliced Zeb in half. Chopper managed to get out of a death by lightsaber, but I crushed him with the force instead. Sabine was the last to fall and I beheaded her. With their dead and blood stained bodies lying at my feet, the Inquisitor approached me, lightsaber in hand. He raised it and killed me."

I wanna hide the truth  
I wanna shelter you  
But with the beast inside  
There's nowhere we can hide

With the story now completed, Ezra was sobbing, and this broke Kanan's heart. Kanan as if out of nowhere, pulled the boy into a comforting embrace. Ezra was shocked at first but welcomed the embrace and continued to sob, soaking Kanan's shirt. If he had only gotten Ezra to speak up sooner, this whole incident could have been avoided. As much as he wished he could have saved his padawan the trouble it was too late to prevent it, but it could be fixed. Not that Kanan wasn't familiar with nightmares after troubling events. He use to have nightmares after he escaped the massacre known as Order 66 and the murder of his master Depa Billaba.

Not to mention everything after that his past. The life he lived after Order 66. The Jedi inside of him that he had long since forgotten. That is, until he met Hera and the rest of the Ghost crew, including the boy sobbing in his chest. He never expected to find the family that he had received in the form of the crew, but now he couldn't feel more connected than he did at this moment.

After several minutes of silent contemplation Kanan decided to talk to the youth. He lightened up his embrace and allowed Ezra to back up a little bit.

"Hey, look at me." Kanan requested, placing his hands on the sides of Ezra's face and gently made Ezra look at him eye to eye. He whipped away the tears stuck on Ezra's eyes. "It's okay, alright? I would never let that happen to you. You and I share quite a few things in common and I would never want you to end up like that."

Though not ready to share his past experiences in full, his eyes told Ezra enough to inform the boy of his master and father figure's troubles. Ezra let out the first smile he had imprisoned all week, which pleased Kanan to no end.

"Now how about we get some sleep?" Kanan suggested.

At first Ezra was terrified at the notion.

"Don't worry, I'll be with you. That is if you'd like me to."

Ezra's expression eased and the boy gave a nod in agreement. Kanan helped Ezra get back into bed before sitting on the edge while Ezra fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

The following morning, Hera along with Sabine found the two asleep on the bunk, Ezra staying comfortable close to Kanan. They smiled at the scene, before leaving them in peace, but Hera did not leave without taking a picture as evidence later on as well as a memory.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter 2. It takes place around the episode "Fire Across the Galaxy". It is mostly from Ezra's perspective with a little bit of Kanan's as well as a pinch of Kanera at the end.**

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The capture of Kanan at the hands of the Inquisitor and the Imperials effected everyone. Each one responding in their own way and for the most part tried to handle it. Zeb was shaken, but choose to brave it through. Sabine locked herself away in her room, painting her angst away, and even Chopper seemed rattled by the event, using a little more aggravation than the bot normal used to mask his distress. The only two people who didn't seem to take the ordeal as well as the others were Hera and Ezra. They were hit hard and only had the other to try and find comfort in. While Hera felt like she had lost part of her heart, leaving a gaping hole where it shouldn't be, Ezra was the one feeling the most unusual internal pain. He could feel sporadic surges of pain emanating off of Kana through the connection they shared through the Force. When the pain wasn't present, visions seemed to haunt Ezra whenever he tried to sleep. Visions of torment as a result of Imperial interrogation weapons.

With no other plausible option, the Ghost crew devised a plan to try and find their lost friend. Hacking the Empire's data base through an AT-DP walker sounded like it would be easy enough. Surely it had to have something about the Jedi's whereabouts stored in its system. Unfortunately, due to the communications network being down, they were forced to retreat, escaping from the AT-DP they so graciously "borrowed".

Ezra couldn't believe what he heard when the news broke out. Hera informed the crew that Fulcrum wanted them to forget about rescuing Kanan in favor of the safety of the rebellion and so that the Ghost crew wouldn't draw too much attention to themselves. And while Fulcrum's request sounded reasonable enough, Ezra refused to stand by and let Kanan get left behind.

Ezra even went as far as to contact Vizago for intelligence. He even got Sabine and Zeb to join his scheme, even if they dreaded having to deal with Vizago and the outcome once Hera found out what they were planning. However, the moment Vizago decided to help them, thanks to Ezra's unorthodox methods, both Sabine and Zeb were pleased with the results. Vizago gave them their best lead and a lecture from Hera was worth it in the end. Even Hera had to commend them for finding out where Kanan was, even if she didn't condone the mission to get the information.

Breaking into the Star Destroyer holding Kanan took time, patience, and a well thought out plan. But once the Ghost Crew boarded the ship, it was well worth the struggle, with the exception of the Storm Troopers that came all the way from the neighboring Star Destroyer Sovereign to hunt them down.

Seperation from the others was in everyone's best interest, as Ezra went to find Kanan alone, giving the others time to escape. With his street smarts and a little help from the force, Ezra was able to find his mentor. The look of relief, even with signs of exhaustion, on Kanan's face made the whole situation a euphoric one for the both of them as Ezra helped freeing him from his chains. And while Ezra knew that he did this all for Kanan, and by extent the crew, he knew that deep down this was for himself more than anything.

It had been a few days since the rescue of Kanan and the big reveal that Fulcrum was actually the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano. Everything was less than peaceful as they'd like and had quite frankly hoped for. Hera was the first and probably the most perceptive on the cloud hanging over the Jedi. He looked like his best friend had just died. Zeb just brushed it off and Sabine saw it as Kanan's way of letting the reality of the events sit it. Hera knew that he was probably having a hard time opening up to anyone about it, since whenever someone tried asking him what was wrong he seemed to brush it off like it was nothing. Knowing that she didn't want to push Kanan's buttons any farther than she knew she could, Hera decided to send Ezra on the case, to see what he could find out. She figured since Kanan had help Ezra with his previous emotional and potentially psychological lock up, Ezra could do the same. Ezra agreed, jumping at any opportunity to cheer his master up.

This time it was Kanan who was stuck in the depths of a lively nightmare. It included the same torture instrument used on him to try and pry any information about the rebellion out of the man. However, they weren't after intel on the rebellion. Far from it, in fact. They were trying to weed out the remaining Jedi lineage. They wanted Ezra and they found him. Ezra had come to rescue Kanan, only to be captured and confined to a dark prison. They had Kanan chained to a wall and they forced him to watch as the Inquisitor slowly and brutally destroyed and dismembered the Padawan, making him bleed as the crimson lightsaber pierced Ezra's body. Ezra's screams echoed through the confined spaces of the cell as the image darkened.

Kanan jolted up in a cold sweat, forcing himself into a sitting position. It took a second before Kanan realized that his door was opened and a shadow lurked in. Kanan looked over to find Ezra standing in the door way, concern glowing on the teen's face.

"How long have you been there?" Kanan inquired.

"Long enough." Ezra confirmed. "I woke up to use the bathroom, and on my way back to my room I heard you screaming my name. Do you mind?"

"Sure, come on in."

Ezra entered the room allowing the door to close as Kanan got himself to sit on the side of his bed.

"Is everything okay?" Ezra asked, now standing in front of Kanan.

"I don't want to talk anout it." Kanan gruffly replied.

Ezra stood there in silence for a moment, a skill he was only good at when he found it convenient, before kneeling in front of his mentor and father figure. He looked into Kanan's teal eyes before deciding to speak up.

"Kanan, you were always there for me when I needed you. You were there when I was having my own personal nightmares and I want to do the same."

"You don't have to."

"You've done the same for me. So let me return the gesture. What's bothering you?"

Kanan contemplated what to say next. Looking into Ezra's eyes, he saw the boy's pain. Pain that plastered itself behind the innocence of Ezra's bright blue eyes. Thinking back to his nightmare, and the, albeit imaginary pain, Kanan wrapped his arms around the boy bringing him into a hug. He had to know his Padawan was safe and for that matter actually there. Ezra was caught off guard for a second, but accepted Kanan's gesture. So long as it helped Kanan.

Relief filled Kanan as he knew that his son was alive in his arms and there was no way that Kanan planned to let Ezra in harm's way. He let Ezra go after a few moments of embracing silence, letting the boy know that he was okay now before explaining his dream to the boy. When Ezra looked at him with his concern returning, Kanan promising that his it would no longer bother him and that he would never let that dream come to pass so long as he lived. Ezra smiled, proud at the fact that Kanan would sleep easy that night, but rather than run back to his own room in his semi exhausted state, Ezra elected to take the top bunk of Kanan's bunk, in the event Kanan needed to make sure he was still alive and well.

The following morning Kanan and Ezra joined the rest of the crew in the common room. They were both well rested and smiling. Hera approached them both, offering them both breakfast. Ezra bounced over to the table to get the freshly made pancakes that Sabine had gotten up early to make. Kanan didn't get far before Hera socked him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" Kanan complained with a chuckle. "What was that for?"

"That was worrying everyone." Hera replied before punching him on the shoulder again. "That was for making Ezra go through all of that." She then placed a kiss on Kanan's cheek. "And that, was for coming back alive. I missed you love."

Kanan was left with a smile as he pulled the Twi'lek in to an embrace.

"I missed you too Hera. And of course the rest of you guys."

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 **There's one more chapter after this and will be taking place during the episode Legacy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it. This takes place around Legacy, and has a bit of a surprise at the end.**

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The vivid vision about Ezra's parents are what drove Ezra to search for confirmation, which eventually leading them back to Lothal. After pressuring Kanan into helping, along with some help from Hera, with Copper in tow they found themselves flying back to the boy's home planet. With Kanan stating that he wanted to be there for Ezra, regardless of the outcome, Ezra was thankful for and appreciated Kanan's support and guidance even more. When Kanan admitted that he didn't want Ezra to be alone, like he was when he lost his master Depa Billaba, Ezra couldn't help but smile.

When they finally landed on the planet, the first place they went was Ezra's old home, or at least what was left of it. The house had been demolished, torn to pieces. It was a shock to say the least. After letting it sink in, Ezra found himself meditating, per Kanan's request. He let the silence flow through him, letting the Force guide him and his thoughts. He was brought back to reality by the meowing of a white Loth-cat. Coincidentally, the same Loth-cat from his vision.

Once he approached the creature and realized that it wouldn't hurt him, Ezra found himself chasing the cat, much to the dismay and annoyance of Kanan. Ezra could only chase the Loth-cat for so long, before it hitched a ride on a speeder bike and speed out of sight. Kanan had his concerns about what to do next once he caught up with Ezra. Ezra proudly declared that they could still find the cat, not because of the force like Kanan had first thought, but because of a tracker he put on the cat before it got away.

They met up with Chopper, who was waiting for them on the Phantom, and followed the guidance of the small tracker until the cat had finally came to a stop. They found themselves in the scenic outskirts of Lothal, and found the person they were looking for, who Ezra had also seen in his vision. Prisoner X-10 as he was dubbed in prison, who would later be identified as Ryder Azadi invited them into his home, only after shooting at them because he thought that they were a threat.

On the bright side, Ryder confirmed that he had been held in the same prison as Ezra's parents. That was a bit of a relief for Ezra, but he needed closure. He needed to know what happened to his parents. Unfortunately, he would not get the desired results he wanted, but couldn't help but expect. The answer was a heart breaking one. His parents had died, but not in vain. Ryder explained that his parents heard Ezra's message and were inspired, and that they rallied the prisoners together and planned an escape. Hearing that lifted some of the weight off of Ezra's shoulders, but only enough for Ezra to hear that his parents were the only ones who didn't make it due to waiting for everyone else to get out.

After hearing all of Ryder's story and Ezra's reminiscing words, quoting something his parents had once said, the boy needed comfort. Kanan saw the look in his eyes as the light they once held, and decided that he was just the person to give Ezra the comfort he needed, as he gave the boy a hug. Ezra didn't hesitate to return it letting his tears lightly staining Kanan's shirt. Even Chopper was being surprisingly supportive, patting the kid's lap with one of his metallic hands.

Later in the night, after Ezra had calmed down, the teenager found himself outside. He gazed at Lothal's two moons as he was given one last vison of his parents. Kanan joined him as the vison cleared, and Ezra relayed his vison to his mentor. Kanan stated how when a person losses someone close to them, they are never truly gone. Kanan placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and joined his Padawan's gaze at the twin moons.

Kanan thought on Ryder offer to let them stay for the night. Ryder thought they could get some well-deserved rest after the day the two had experienced. He didn't want them to rush out while they were in a safe place, especially since no one knew that the two Jedi were there to begin with. Kanan and Ezra had decided to take his offer, knowing that Hera wouldn't mind. Especially since finding Ryder was part of getting Ezra the closure he needed regarding his parents.

With that in mind, Kanan reflected on what the day had provided. He had to admit the day's events were a little unorthodox and strange, but eventful. His thoughts were interrupted by an unsuspected vision of his own.

All Kanan could see was a dark enclosed area with a red hue in the background. He could hear Ezra's voice saying, "we found this together" and "trust me", before hearing Ahsoka's voice proclaiming "I won't leave you". Then as his vision came to a black closure all he heard one last set of dialogue. Kanan asking, "where's Ezra" and a voice belonging to someone Kanan didn't recognize saying, "you mean my apprentice".

"Kanan?" Ezra spoke up, bringing said Jedi back to his senses.

Kanan looked at his Padawan before realizing that he had tightened his grip on the boy's shoulder. He eased his grip on the shoulder, relieving it of its distress.

"Are you okay?" Ezra aksed.

"Yeah," Kanan replied, pushing his vision out of his mind, "I was just deep in thought. You?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a long day, to say the least." Ezra sighed. "As much as it pains me to say this, I think we should probably start heading back. If Hera finds out that we've stayed up later then she thinks we should be, you know she's going to throw a fit and ground us from doing mission until we do."

"Right." Kanan chuckled.

Kanan guided back Ryder's humble abode, only for Ezra to stop him for a moment.

"But before I come in, do you mind if I get a second out here by myself?" Ezra asked.

"Why?" Kanan wondered with concern.

"Nothing major, I just want a moment to myself. I just need a moment to meditate on one last thought. I won't be too long, I promise."

Kanan let out a tired sigh pinching the bridge of his nose, he knew he should grant Ezra's request for the sake of letting the kid's mind be at ease, even if it's just a little bit.

"Alright. You've got ten minutes, got it? I know you have a lot on your mind, but you need to get sleep, even more than I do."

"Yes sir."

Ezra gave a playful salute. Kanan smiled before entering Ryder's house for the night.

With Kanan out of sight the expression on Ezra's face changed from calm and playful to anxious and distressed. Ezra approached a nearby boulder, the same on that Ezra and Kanan had previously used as protection when Ryder mistook them for a threat. He sat down, curled up, with his back against the stone. The boy's hand covered his eyes as he started to shake and silently weep. He started to rock himself back and forth, as his mind was plagued with fear.

He could hear fighting in his mind. He wasn't sure where the fight was taking place, or everyone who was involved. Ezra heard the gasping screams coming from a female, before seeing her body fall over, dead. The next thing he knew Kanan yelled out in pain and feel over, and Ezra could hear Ahsoka's voice calling out Kanan's name with an echo just before Ezra saw a burning flash of crimson light. The only other voice he could make out, clear as crystal, was the voice of an older man.

The voice told Ezra one thing: _Call me Old Master_.

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 **Yeah, the endings a bit of an angsty one. This story was originally for an angst prompt on Tumblr, but I did want to share it on here as well. This is also the shortest story, chapter wise that I have written, but I hope you guys still enjoyed it. Thank you for everyone who's followed it, read it, and/or added it to their favorites. And I'd like to thank whoever will read it.**


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